Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a key factor in digital marketing. SEO improves a website’s performance and ensures that your website, product, or content is showing up well in the organic results (the search results you don’t have to pay for). The ability to choose the right keywords, keep tabs on how the site is performing, and develop strategies for improvement make Web Optimization Specialists an important part of the digital marketing team. To get a job in the field, you will need to learn to use data analysis tools, create marketing strategies, and keep on top of the constantly changing world of SEO.
What Do Web Optimization Specialists Do?
Web Optimization Specialists review company or client websites to make sure that the site is producing the way the company wants and in line with the company’s goals. The website needs to perform well on search engines, so you need to test the website layout, fix links, and add content with keywords that will drive traffic to the site. It is imperative to stay up to date with the constantly changing SEO standards. Web Optimization Specialists use tools to measure web traffic, determine who the target audience should be, and recommend strategies to gain customer conversions–sales.
If you become a Web Optimization Specialist, you will work as part of a team of Digital Marketers, UX/UI Designers, and Web Developers. While a few jobs are remote, most Web Optimization Specialists work in a corporate setting for large companies and small. You can also work for a web strategy firm or as a self-employed consultant, although these positions require several years of experience first.
Job Prospects for Web Optimization Specialists
In the United States, Web Optimization Specialists earn an average yearly salary of about $64,000—though that number will differ depending on location. The US Bureau of Labor and Statistics doesn’t list Web Optimization Specialists separate from Marketing Analysts, but that field is expected to grow by 22% in the next ten years.
Job Requirements for Web Optimization Specialists
To get a job as a Web Optimization Specialist, you will need to have skills in data analysis, SEO, and conversion rate optimization (CRO), and you should know how to use the tools to collect this data. In addition to analytical skills, you will need empathy. Web Optimization Specialists need to understand what customers are looking for and help them get it, acting as a bridge between the users and the client. You need to be very comfortable with technology, good at problem-solving, and willing to keep up with the rapidly changing world of digital marketing.
Most employers ask for an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in marketing, advertising, communications, or IT for web optimization jobs. However, people with evidence of SEO experience and who have completed training programs can be considered for entry-level positions, depending on the competition. There are no industry-standard certifications for this position, but some Web Optimization Specialists choose to get a certification from SEO tool vendors such as SemRush, Moz, or Google.
Tools for Web Optimization Specialists
Digital marketing analytics involves collecting, tracking, and analyzing user data on social media accounts and websites to glean crucial information on engagement and conversion rates. This data can tell you:
- Your campaign’s reach
- What kinds of positive (and negative) mentions you’re getting online
- How many people are seeing your posts and if they’re being shared
- If your brand’s hashtag is performing well
- Other details to help improve or change your strategy
Having access to this data allows you to focus on future marketing efforts, ultimately saving you time and money.
These tools provide the analytics you need to understand how your brand, product, or business is performing on the internet. They help determine when to post content so it will reach the most people, how the content performs, which social media platforms are the best match for your brand, and give insight as to what isn’t working so you can change your strategy. Additionally, analytics tools can provide you with insight into how your website or app performs and generate reports to share with your team, investors, and others involved in your brand’s success.
Google Analytics
Google Analytics (or GA) is a free tool within the Google Marketing studio platform that collects and tracks user data, compiles it into useful reports, and provides valuable insights to improve your website or app’s performance. The program works by installing a tracking code onto each page of your website that allows Google to collect information about how visitors interact with it. Integrating Google Analytics into your website or app can help you understand what’s working and what isn’t within your digital marketing strategy.
The data that GA collects, stores, and reports on can help marketers learn what strategies are working and what aren’t. It can measure marketing efforts, both on and offline. It can help you make better, more savvy business decisions. The information Google Analytics provides can also identify specific problems or shortcomings on your website. The data you’ll get is specific, targeted information.
You can use Google Analytics to measure the customer experience from the moment they enter your website or app to the time they leave. You can track valuable information such as how they found your site, who purchased something, what pages your visitors looked at, how they moved through the site, etc. And while it’s important to know where your website and business is thriving, it’s also critical to understand where you’re falling short and losing customers. Using Google Analytics can help with that, too.
SemRush
SemRush also tracks user data and includes numerous toolkits that generate SEO reports, Pay Per Click advertising, social media performance, keyword research, content marketing, and insights into competitors. SemRush gives you a week-long free trial and then offers three subscription levels, Pro, Guru, and Business. There is also a minimal free version.
SemRush includes many powerful tools. The Keyword Magic Tool generates keywords and phrases to help you find the most effective keywords for your site and gives you a report on topical groups, difficulty, and Search Engine Results Pages. The Domain Overview Tool can give you a picture of a domain and how it is performing. It allows you to compare up to five competitors at one time. The Organic Research Tool gives you insight into your competitors’ most successful keywords, and the Keyword Gap Tool compares your keywords to competitors’ and identify gaps in strategies. The SemRush Topic Research Tool helps you easily identify trending topics for content marketing. Organic Traffic Insights connect to Google Analytics and let you keep a close eye on your site’s performance. SemRush’s link-building feature is especially good.
Although data analysis tools are complicated in general, SemRush is generally easy to learn thanks to the tools. Layouts are clear and easy to follow. The site auditing feature gives you easy-to understand instructions on how to improve your site’s SEO. Compared to Google’s free tools, SemRush is easier to use although it is pricey. The Pro version is $119.95, Guru is $229.95, and the Business version is $449.95 per month.
Moz
Another popular SEO and data management program is Moz. You can perform site audits, track your ranking, analyze backlinks, and search for the most effective keywords. It helps you to determine the best content and marketing strategies for your site. Some people find Moz a bit more difficult to use than SemRush because you need to generate more reports to get the information in Moz, while in SemRush it is included in an overview. Moz helps fix issues with SEO and helps track competitors’ sites. You can also set up regular automated checks to stay on top of problems that come up. Moz is much less expensive than SemRush with a Standard plan for $99 a month, Medium at $179, Large at $299 and a Premium plan for $599. Moz also has a limited free version.
Learning Digital Marketing
One way to take the first step to a Web Optimization Specialist career is to sign up for a digital marketing bootcamp. Noble Desktop’s Digital Marketing Strategies Bootcamp covers the role of digital marketing in today’s business landscape, as well as how to design successful email campaigns, optimize websites and landing pages for conversions, and create content to drive traffic to your or your company’s website by engaging your audience. The SEO Bootcamp will teach you how search engines work, how to do keyword research and competitor analysis, and how to use SEO-driven content to increase web traffic. You can also sign up for a Google Analytics Bootcamp to learn how to set up an account, know which metrics to track, and understand the Google Analytics reports. Each bootcamp includes 12 hours of instruction and costs $650.
Another way to prepare for a career as a Web Optimizations Specialist is a digital marketing certificate course. Noble’s Digital Marketing Certificate includes the digital marketing, SEO, and Google Analytics bootcamps, plus Google Ads and classes on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok, X (formerly known as Twitter) marketing, and content marketing with blogs. You can choose classes that meet in-person or online. Some people prefer to attend brick-and-mortar sessions when learning new information, but that isn’t always available. Live online classes have a similar set-up with a real-time, remote instructor who can answer questions and take control of your monitor—with permission—to show you how to do things. Training is part or full-time and available weekdays, weeknights, or weekends.
It takes 78 hours of instruction to complete a digital marketing certificate through Noble Desktop, and the tuition is $3,295. An installment plan and loans are available. You can choose between full or part-time classes and classes that meet during the day, evening, or on weekends. When you successfully complete the course, you will receive a verified digital certificate of completion recognized by the New York State Department of Education that you can download or post on your LinkedIn profile. This type of certification can help you get a job as a Content Marketer.